Royal Air Force News

Maritime Authority of Jamaica’s Director General, Rear Admiral (ret’d) Peter Brady, has retired, with the position being accepted by Bertrand Smith, formerly the MAJ’s Director of Legal Affairs.Brady has served in this role since the Maritime Authority’s inception in 1999.As Director General, he was primarily responsible for elevating Jamaica’s maritime status regionally and globally. He spearheaded several major initiatives by the MAJ including the development of Jamaica as a shipping hub with attendant services such as bunkering and drydocking…

U.S. and British strikes against Houthi military targets in Yemen were a limited act of self defense and London does not immediately plan any further missions, its junior defense minister said on Friday.The two countries launched strikes from the air and sea against Houthi military targets in Yemen in response to the movement's attacks on ships in the Red Sea since the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza began in October.British Armed Forces minister James Heappey said the strikes were a proportionate response…

A Royal Navy task force of seven ships will deploy with allies early next month to jointly patrol areas with vulnerable undersea critical infrastructure, following an unprecedented agreement by ministers of the 10 Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) nations.The UK contribution to the deployment will include two Royal Navy frigates, two offshore patrol vessels and mine countermeasures vessels, as well as a Royal Fleet Auxiliary landing ship – supported by a Royal Air Force P-8 Poseidon…

The biggest World War Two bomb ever found in Poland exploded under water on Tuesday as navy divers tried to defuse it.More than 750 people had been evacuated from the area near the Piast Canal outside the town of Swinoujscie where the Tallboy bomb used by Britain’s Royal Air Force (RAF) was found. It weighed nearly 5,400 kg, including 2,400 kg of explosive.“The deflagration process turned into detonation. The object can be considered as neutralized, it will not pose any more threat…

On the world stage, the grounding of the supertanker TORREY CANYON on Pollard’s Rock in the Seven Stones reef between Cornwall and the Scilly Isles is more significant than the 1989 EXXON VALDEZ oil spill. The TORREY CANYON was one of the first tankers large enough (120,000 tons capacity) to be designated a supertanker. It was also the first loaded supertanker to spill its entire cargo. After salvage efforts failed and the oil flow increased, the British Government decided to bomb the ship in an attempt to burn the oil. This was a radical decision because the wreck was outside the three-mile territorial sea limit prevalent at that time. The Royal Air Force had difficulty hitting the ship, so the Royal Navy sent its planes in.

BMT has appointed Guy Tomlinson as Group Capability and Strategy Director. Tomlinson joins BMT from QinetiQ where he led a 35-strong business development team as UK Sales Director. He brings to the role experience from across the maritime, defense, cyber and information and training domains, as well as leading on several sales and business development transformation programs. Prior to joining QinetiQ, Tomlinson served in the Royal Air Force for 23 years as an engineer officer, with operational tours in Iraq, Kosovo and the Falkland Islands.

Emsys Maritime Ltd (UK) has appointed Tim Holt in the capacity of Marine Service Manager. Holt joins the company with a background in the design, installation and maintenance and support of maritime emissions monitoring technology, having held senior positions with various organizations specializing in maritime- and land-based emissions measurement applications. Originally trained as an aircraft electrical and avionics technician in the Royal Air Force, Holt’s expertise has taken him on a global journey working on aircraft such as Harrier Jump Jets…

British and Russian World War Two veterans gathered on Wednesday in Arkhangelsk, 75 years to the day since Britain's first Arctic convoy of military supplies steamed into the northern port. Britain's Princess Anne has been among those attending events honouring those who sailed, and the thousands who died, protecting supply convoys dispatched to aid the Soviet Union against Nazi Germany. On Aug. 31, 1941, two months after Hitler's surprise attack on his erstwhile ally prompted Josef Stalin to seek support from a beleaguered Britain, the first convoy, codenamed "Dervish", sailed into Arkhangelsk, or Archangel, after a 10-day crossing.

The Aircraft Carrier Alliance successfully lifted one of the final sections of the second Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier in Rosyth on Friday, January 8 following its arrival from Glasgow. The 750-metric-ton block was raised 25 meters in the air using the Goliath crane and placed on the deck of HMS Prince of Wales, bringing assembly work on the ship significantly closer to completion. This section to be assembled is known as the Aft Island and will control aircraft operations aboard HMS Prince of Wales.

Military assets deployed in support of Falkland Island government in cruise ship rescue. In support of the Falkland Island Government, British forces based in the Falkland Islands yesterday responded to a distress call by the 10,000 tonne cruise ship ‘Le Boreal’. The ship reported suffering a major engine room fire, which caused the loss of all power and left the ship drifting. A north-westerly gale placed the ship in real danger of grounding on Cape Dolphin, East Falkland. The master ordered the ship, with 347 passengers and crew, to be abandoned early yesterday morning. Working closely with the Falkland Islands Government, British Forces enacted a major search and rescue plan.

More than 140 university students from across the country are being given a unique insight into working life at BAE Systems, as part of the company’s 12-week summer internship program. At Portsmouth Naval Base and Cowes on the Isle of Wight, 11 interns are currently working across a number of disciplines from HR and finance, through to engineering and supply chain. Now in its third year, this growing program gives students the opportunity to learn from employees who are experts in their fields and gain insights that can only come from real world experience.

Today in U.S. Naval History - September 24 1918 - Ensign David S. Ingalls, USNR, in a Sopwith Camel, shoots down his fifth enemy aircraft, becoming the first U.S. Navy ace while flying with the British Royal Air Force. 1944 - 5th Fleet carrier aircraft attack Japanese in Visayas, Philippines 1960 - First nuclear powered aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise (CVAN-65), launched at Newport News, Va. For more information about naval history, visit the Naval History and Heritage Command website at history.

The recession has generated difficult times for many Americans, yet it has failed to weaken the generosity of the National Maritime Museum Cornwall visitors, who have raised nearly $12,000 for the rescue services in the last few months. The Museum’s cherished Search & Rescue exhibition celebrates the Maritime Rescue Services. Honoring their work, a charity box has been installed for donations with plans of future distribution spanning all the partners involved in the exhibition. Though, the donation box is not the only addition made to the museum.

The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search at 10 p.m., Friday, May 23, for the missing crew members of the 39-foot sailing vessel Cheeki Rafiki who reported distress approximately 1,000 miles east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, on Friday, May 16. At the request of the British Government, the Coast Guard resumed search efforts at 7:38 a.m., Tuesday, having suspending its original 4,000-square-mile search on Sunday after the sailors had not been located. After an additional 21,000 square miles of searches, the U.S. Coast Guard suspended the second search.

The Royal Navy’s 'fleet ready' escort HMS Dragon, a Type 45 destroyer, pinpointed and monitored the movement of the Russian destroyer Vice Admiral Kulakov as it transited past the UK coast. Dragon deployed from Portsmouth last week to pre-position well north of Scotland in good time to respond to the Udaloy-Class destroyer’s deployment. She made contact with the Kulakov and is keeping an eye on the Russian ship’s transit south. The Royal Air Force was also involved recently with its Russian counterparts when RAF Typhoon Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) aircraft were launched from RAF Leuchars to determine the identity of unknown aircraft that were approaching the Nato air policing area north of Scotland.

Submarine HMS Tireless has been tasked to assist in the search for flight MH370 as UK support to the international effort continues informs the government's Ministry of Defence. The Trafalgar-Class submarine has arrived in the southern Indian Ocean to help with the search for the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 that went missing on 8 March, and with her advanced underwater search capability, HMS Tireless is expected to be able to contribute to the attempts to locate the missing plane.

Four members of the British Royal Air Force were rescued by the crew of the bulk carrier 'Hedvig Bulker' and are now back on dry land after a treacherous 51 day, trans-Atlantic attempt from Spain to Antigua in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge, informs the US Coast Guard. Rescued were the Atlantic Forces rowing team: Jane McIntosh, Warren Burns, Howard Raw and Elizabeth Beauchamp. The team had a broken rudder on day 46 and after exhausting all efforts to fix it in heavy seas…

The crew of four British Royal Air Force personnel (2 men and 2 women) from 216 Squadron and 47 Squadron based at Royal Air Force Brize Norton, competing in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge, have been rescued by the AMVER particating ship MV Hedvik Bulker. The four were rowing from San  Sebastian de la Gomera, Tenerife when when they developed rudder problems and alerted rescue authorities in Falmouth, UK who in turn notified U.S. Coast Guard rescue personnel in Sector San Juan.

Today in U.S. Naval History - September 24 1918 - Ensign David S. Ingalls, USNR, in a Sopwith Camel, shoots down his fifth enemy aircraft, becoming the first U.S. Navy ace while flying with the British Royal Air Force. 1944 - 5th Fleet carrier aircraft attack Japanese in Visayas, Philippines 1960 - First nuclear powered aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise (CVAN-65), launched at Newport News, Va. For more information about naval history, visit the Naval History and Heritage Command website at history.navy.mil.

The concept of force majeure has been broadly accepted since mariners initially encountered the perils of the sea. Persons and governments ashore have been obligated, at least by natural law, to accept and succor those in distress at sea. Concomitant with force majeure is the notion of providing a ship in distress with a place or port of refuge. A place of refuge is where a ship could go to avoid or ameliorate the peril and then depart at the earliest opportunity. While the original need for force majeure and a place of refuge was to reduce the risk to the lives of those on board the ship…

'MV Carrier' remains aground on the coast of Wales after crew rescued by military helicopters The cargo ship ‘Carrier’, aground off  Raynes Jetty in Llanddulas remains hard aground in the same location with damage to its starboard side.  A quantity of marine gas oil has leaked from the vessel. The ‘Carrier’ has been holed in three places on the starboard side.  It’s reported that the port side, where the fuel tank is located, is intact. Officers from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s Counter Pollution and Salvage branch are working with all agencies on plans to remove the fuel as soon as possible. The seven crewmembers were airlifted to safety from the stricken vessel by helicopter crews from the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force

Swire Oilfield Services, a provider of offshore cargo carrying units and associated services, has appointed Michael King as its new UK operations director. In his new role, Mr. King will ensure that the operational capability is fully developed, supported and resourced to provide the highest levels of service to all Swire’s customers served from the UK bases. Mr. King has a vast background in operations, starting 22 years ago when working as an aircraft engineer in the Royal Air Force.

1779 - Captain John Paul Jones in Continental Navy frigate Bonhomme Richard captures HMS Serapis. 1931 - LT Alfred Pride pilots Navy's first rotary wing aircraft, XOP-1 autogiro, in landings and takeoffs on board USS Langley while underway. 1944 - USS West Virginia (BB-48) reaches Pearl Harbor and rejoins the Pacific Fleet, marking the end of the salvage and reconstruction of 18 ships damaged at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941. 1918 - Ensign David S. Ingalls, USNR, in a Sopwith Camel, shoots down his fifth enemy aircraft, becoming the first U.S. Navy ace while flying with the British Royal Air Force. 1941 - In first successful U.S. Navy escort of convoys during World War II, Navy escort turn over HX-150 to British escorts at the Mid-Ocean Meeting Point. All ships reach port safely.